Days Like These
by fishyyy
Summary: And we sit there in comfortable silence, I realize this is how it's always going to be. Cato and Clove when they were still Careers in training, two years  before the 74th Hunger Games.
1. Expected Turns

My arms felt like they were going to fall off, my feet were beginning to become wobbly and my consciousness kept slipping away. I blinked twice to shake off the bead of sweat that threatened to blind what little vision I had left as it hung on the end of my eyelashes. The rain made me cold, soaking all my clothes and leaving my hair in a wet mess. I believe that my palms had begun to bleed as they pressed down on the wet, rocky terrain.

I've been in this stationary push-up position for god knows how long, I just want to go home.

No one else was getting punished, apparently breaking the close combat instructor's wrist and three of his ribs wasn't something that was taken lightly. Weird, I thought they would have loved it.

I shook my head again as I tried to keep steady. I can't show weakness. I'm going to volunteer for the Hunger Games in two years. I'll finally be able to impress my father, I've trained my whole life for this, I can't give up.

"Agh," I let out an exasperated grunt when I suddenly feel something weigh me down, someone was sitting on me. I push up slowly and painfully so my chest wouldn't touch the ground. I shake my body as violently as I can to get whoever it is off of me but it doesn't work, instead I get a hand to push down my head forcefully.

"What the f-," I'm about to curse the person to oblivion when I see a pair of black leather, lace-up training boots planted on the floor, and I grin because I instantly know who it is.

"Get off me, Clove," I say in mock anger, failing in shaking her off again. I can't help the small laugh that escapes my lips.

Yes, despite the environment and the state I'm in, I manage to laugh.

Clover chuckles too. "How can you still have energy to smile, beefy?"

I sigh in between a smile. The rain finally slows down. "My name's not beefy," I remind her for the umpteenth time.

For some reason, when I turned fourteen, which was exactly five months ago, she started calling me "beefy". When I asked her why, she said it was because I had "filled out". I still didn't know what that phrase translated in to.

"Of course it is," she says. "Look at those," she pokes my bicep and takes away the last bit of strength I had invested in that body part. I almost collapse to the ground but she gets off me and presses her palm against my chest, supporting me with all her strength, Clove may be a small girl but she was definitely not as weak as she looked, I learned from experience. I gain control of my arm again and prop myself up. As soon as I get up, water starts dripping from the wet ends of my blond hair. I look at my hands, yep, there were calluses and ugly, bloody things. Nothing I wasn't used to.

"Taec told me to pick you up, he told me to tell you that you should go apologize to him in the hospital right after training because he's our close combat instructor and he'll tell your dad what happened if you don't," she narrates then looks at me with expectant eyes.

She couldn't be serious. I knew she wasn't because, those expectant coy eyes were teasing.

I chuckle. "That weakling isn't getting anything from me," I say as I start walking, eager to change into a dry shirt. My white training shirt had been soaked by the downpour, leaving it sticking to my body, irritating me.

She laughs. Somehow her laugh sounded like a chime to me, it was just so soft and comforting to hear. "I thought as much."

We walk together until we reach the building that held our dorms. The training camp was a kind of boarding school, I guess. Clove follows me all the way up to my room. Her room is on the other side of the building, on the girls' side, and it wasn't forbidden or anything but it was quite a long walk. There was no point in arguing though because Clove would always be on this guys' side of the building most of the time, she said that the girls' side was always so filled with high-pitched laughter and girlish giggling she hated.

She gets ahead of me and opens my door, having memorized my pass code. When I enter my room she's already lying down on the bed like it was her own room, I disregard it, it was always like this, and I close the door behind me.

I head straight to the bathroom and fix myself. I take a long hot bath and when I'm all done I head out to my room with a towel wrapped around my waist. There was absolutely no reason to be shy with Clove, I didn't know why I think like that but I do.

I head to my dresser and pick out clothes, I head for the bathroom again to change.

"Why are you even hiding?," I hear Clove's voice as I'm about to enter the bathroom and I turn my head to look at her. She's busy playing with the holographic gaming device I got but she pauses it and turns to look at me.

"You're a girl," I say with a soft chuckle.

"No, I'm a Clove," she says, sticking her tongue out.

"Yeah, and I'm so glad you're the last of your species," I say sarcastically.

She turns the game back on and shrugs as I close the bathroom door behind me.

...

It doesn't take me five minutes to change and as soon as I'm done I open the bathroom door and plan to just lie down on the floor since Clove has taken residency on my bed.

But as soon as I open the door I feel a hand grab the shirt resting on top of my chest. The next thing I know is I'm on the floor, face down, and Clove is sitting on my back, holding her small custom-made pocket knife. I sigh, defeated, because I know that the next thing she's going to do is throw it to my wall, which she does. It sticks and there's a small hole on my wall.

"Hey," I say and shake her off successfully. But before I can stand she's sitting on top of me, her knife to my throat and her face so close to mine I can feel her breath. It was always like this.

"'Gonna cut my throat, huh, Clove?," I grin.

She just grins back and I feel the knife press harder until it stings and I realize that the knife actually cut me.

"Ah," I say in a little pain. "The hell, Clove."

This had never happened before. Clove would push, but never this far.

Her eyes widened a bit, she didn't expect her actions either. But it took only a second for the surprise in her eyes to be replaced by a smirk and soon I felt her lips on my neck then her tongue, licking what was probably the blood that had trickled from the cut she gave me.

"Clove," I say her name.

She chuckled and got up.

"Forever the tease," I sighed then chuckled softly before getting up and sitting on the floor, Clove beside me.

"Cato," she says my name. And there was no sarcasm or anything in it, it was even almost gentle, she just said my name. It made me curious.

"Hm?"

There's a small pause before Clove smiles, and it's a little weird. It's like she holds back something she really wants to say which piques my curiosity even more.

"Nothing." She says what I think she's going to say, and I let it go, _for now_. She looks away and seems to drift away to another place.

I open my mouth to ask something but close it again, she doesn't seem to notice.

And we sit there in comfortable silence, I realize this is how it's always going to be. And somewhere in the back of my mind, I want it to change.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

_She's not his girlfriend. Careers in training aren't allowed to have boyfriends/girlfriends. _

So, I don't know if I should continue this, because I kinda' have an idea, or just keep it as a one shot.

What do you think? Tell me through a review ^^

Thanks for reading, don't forget to review! Sorry, no proof-read. I was sleepy.

**STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY. I OWN NOTHING AND NO ONE EXCEPT FOR THE STORY.**


	2. A Dangerous Friendship

"Hey," I feel a soft punch on my arm, right where a fresh bruise had been placed by my father that morning. I do my best to hide the wince that almost escapes me. I turn to the side and see Clove jogging beside me.

"Hey," I say, more lifeless than I intended, and look back to where I'm going.

"Where were you this morning?," she asks in between light huffs.

"Away," I answer not really wanting anyone to know where I was and what I was doing earlier that day.

"Ha ha," she rolls her eyes before she runs ahead of me. I watch as the figure with the flowing black hair goes ahead and I don't even notice that I'm staring.

...

The day's finally finished. I'm lying down in the middle of my room around 7 o'clock at night when I hear two soft knocks on the door. I get up and open it only to be greeted by Clove.

"What do you want?," I ask a lot more harshly than I intended.

A small pout appears on her face. "So grumpy." She pushes the door open and locks it behind her.

I go back to my previous position. "Agh," I let out a small grunt when Clove suddenly sits on my stomach. She's very light and all, but still.

"Clove," I say in protest but of course she ignores me.

There's a minute of comfortable silence before the air starts becoming dense. Silence is one thing I can't really stand, even if it is with Clove.

"You were 'gonna say something to me yesterday. What was it?," I ask, remembering how she held back her words.

"Huh?," she asks in mock confusion as she gets off me and lays her head on my stomach instead.

"Y'know," I say in a last effort to convince her to tell me. It's quite easy convincing Clove but when she has a secret, it will remain a _secret_ until she wants it to.

She doesn't answer and I wave my white flag and give it up.

"Where were you this morning?" she repeats her question from earlier.

"Away," I repeat as well, still unwilling to disclose the information.

She gets up to sit on my stomach again, she puts more weight than normal when she sits on me and it almost makes me want to barf.

"I was with my dad," I say. Knowing Clove, she would torture me until I told her.

"How does that explain the bruise?" she says and I look up in a bit of shock but I don't even question why and how she knows. I knew Clove had her ways. "Yep, that's right, Cato. Don't play dumb anymore."

She gets off me and crosses her legs on the floor instead. She pulls up the sleeve of my right hand and reveals the bruise I thought I had hidden so well. My eyes flicker to the side when I see concern on her face.

"What is this?" she says in frustration more than confusion as she scans the bruise. I know it's purple and it is pretty bad.

"Nothing," I try to brush her off, pulling my sleeve down as I sit up and cross my legs as well.

"What were you doing?" she asks in the same concerned, frustrated and almost angry tone, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Nothing," I say with more emphasis. It actually _hurts_ to see Clove express so much emotion, and for me, but it's not normal. I don't know how to feel about it.

"Cato," she says my name again and I don't know what happens but it makes me explode.

"What?" I say sharply. "Why are you so... concerned?" I say, almost spitting out the last word. "It's none of your business!" I can't even will myself to say her name because... how could I?

Something just snaps. I don't know what. Lately, I've just been feeling like I had too many things to deal with. And it only takes so much to make someone crack.

Clove narrows her eyes at me, almost making me regret saying what I did. But I don't, at least I don't admit it. I won't admit it. Not to anyone, not to myself. I don't regret what I said. Why did I always have to please other people? Why did I always have to do all the work? What did other people ever do for me?

She says nothing, still. And the silence is frustrating me again.

I open my mouth to apologize but she cuts me off when her head falls to the ground and she speaks.

"You don't have to do this to yourself," she says in a low voice then she gets up. "You know that." She walks towards the door to leave and I just follow her movements with my eyes, feeling frozen in position.

"Talk to me when you've resolved your daddy issues," she says without looking at me as she slams the door behind her.

I would be insulted by her words but strangely, I wasn't. Yeah, it was like a slap to the face but somewhere in the back of my mind I knew Clove was only saying it for my own sake. She had made it clear in the early stages of our friendship that she cared about me. And at first it felt strange, having someone _care_ about you, but I accepted it and maybe I had grown to care for her too. But I knew I couldn't have that. I can't afford to care.

I'll be volunteering in the Hunger Games, that's what I was raised for. It was the mentality the people around me had implanted into my brain. Anything else was insignificant. Maybe if I come back I'll be able to show all that care but right now... it was something I had to avoid. Clove knew it well too, which is why I always wonder what goes on in her head.

Our friendship was viewed strangely by most. Careers weren't supposed to be friends. In the very most we were supposed to be co-workers. Acquaintances. But certainly not friends. Not best friends...

No, I shake my head to knock off the thoughts.

It's too dangerous. I can't... I can't have it. Not right now.

Maybe in another place. If I was a different person and Clove was someone else as well. But no.

We're in District 2. I'm Cato. And she's Clove. And we're Careers being trained how to kill people.

It wasn't different.

How did I let her come so close? Why did I let her come so close?

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

_Standard disclaimers. I own nothing blah blah. You know._

Welp, decided to continue it.

Did this disappoint? It's so short and sucky lol :( Sorry.

But I will forever frustrate people with this. Nahjk. Just kidding.

What'll happen next? Who knows? Why don't you try guessing via a review? ;) Go ahead. Take a guess.

I reaaally hope I didn't disappoint you guise :( If I did, I'm sorry. Really.

Stay tuned b"d

And as always no proof read so sorry for any typos, missing words and stuff like that.


	3. Friendly Scowl

**(A/N: writing in third person now ^^)**

The next day was a bit difficult. The training was normal, Cato even had a moment of praise and pride when he managed to punch a kid so hard he ended up in the hospital. But that wasn't why it was difficult. It was so because the whole day Cato couldn't keep his concentration up to his standards because a vague shadow of a girl with wavy black hair and suspicious hazel eyes that held a knife between her fingers floated around his head all day, and although everyone else said he was doing fine he firmly believed that he was off his game and very distracted. Okay, so maybe the shadow wasn't so vague. And maybe it wasn't really just a shadow. The scene from last night kept playing back in his head as well, he couldn't do anything to shut it out.

"Nice job, dude," he felt a random career pat him on the back as they all headed back to their dorms at sundown. He didn't even see the face, only heard the voice and watched the other guy's back running away.

He frowned. Were they close? Did he even know the guy? No. So, why was he being so-

"Cato, hey," a voice distracted him from his thoughts and he turned his head to the side to see who had called as he wiped the blood off his knuckles with a small cloth. He really expected it to be Clove, no one else, but instead he saw Jea, a girl just a year younger than him, one of his friends, or as he liked to call it: "people I make the effort to be civil with."

"Oh, hey," he nodded his head once to her direction before going back to wiping his knuckles, the expression on his face - blank and hard, as usual - not changing.

"That was really funny," she said.

A small amused and sadistic grin crept up to Cato's lips as he turned his head to actually look at her. He hadn't really been able to see her in quite a long time despite training together everyday. Her strawberry blonde hair had grown out, it was tied up in a messy ponytail, bangs clipped away from her face. She was quite pretty, Cato thought. There was just this sadistic look in her eyes all the time, and for someone reason, in Cato's messed up head, that made her pretty. It was why he became friends with her in the first place, the things he did that most people found scary and disturbing, she found amusing and funny.

He snorted. "Yeah."

Jea laughed a bit before speaking again. "So, listen. We're having that stealth test on Friday, right?" she started and Cato let out a silent sigh, of course she needed something. She wasn't really the kind to approach someone just for a conversation, Cato knew all too well.

"Hm?"

"And I was wondering if you could come over and help me tomorrow. Y'know, I kinda' really need it and Zoey said you'd be the best choice so, why not," he finished and looked at him expectantly.

As much as he hated the shining expectant eyes on him he didn't really want to refuse. Not because he wanted to help a friend out, but because it was an opportunity to show of, though he would never admit that to himself.

"Yeah, sure. I'm up for it," he gave a small smile before making an excuse to jog away, he wasn't really in the mood to chitchat with anyone.

He thought about the agility thing the whole way back to his room. It seemed too... simple for a girl like Jea. He just knew there was something else she wanted. But his mind was too exhausted and distracted to elaborate on the intricacy of Jea's plots and schemes. Honestly, besides it being a chance to show off to someone, he only took her up on it because he wanted to distract himself. His mind. His thoughts. Distract all of him from thinking about... that girl with the wavy black hair and the sinister chocolate eyes with the knives in her hands and that devious look in her eyes.

He sighed to himself as he stepped out of the elevator._ What the hell are you doing?_ he asked himself a collective question. To no avail, of course.

When he arrived at the doorstep of his room his hand had stopped bleeding, leaving only a wound, still slightly ajar, that went through almost all his knuckles. He felt a bit odd entering his room without a certain black-haired girl lying down on his bed or scraping a sharp knife against his carpet or his walls. It was strange and although he didn't fully believe it, he convinced himself that it was a good thing.

Didn't he _dislike_ having Clove hover around him so much? Didn't he find it _annoying_ that she was always in his room like she didn't have her own? And he was pretty sure he had told himself that he _hated_ how Clove seemed to care too much about him for her own good?

Cato ran a hand through his sweaty blonde hair as he grabbed his stuff and entered the bathroom to shower. He was frustrated and annoyed and angry and confused. He didn't really know what to do with himself. By the time he turned on the shower, perfectly mixing hot and cold, he was a downright mess.

Usually showers were when people would let all the thoughts out, contemplate the meaning of their existence, etc. But Cato just let his mind go blank. Absolutely blank. Like he was sleeping and, for a few minutes, his troubles went away.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

**Standard disclaimers apply. I'm not claiming I own anything but the plot. Not the characters or anyone or anything (except those charas I invented lol). Uknow.**

*sigh* Getting worse everyday. Wasn't even good to begin with lol.

But anyway, oh my gosh it's so late. /hands out apologies/

Well, I've just been too absorbed in the role play I'm in, as usual. Really sorry.

And I know this was annoyingly short and doesn't make up for my crime T.T and wtf such a lame chapter.

Oh well, there it is for yaaa. Cliff hanger -ish? Couldn't post the next part yet XD

The next one should be longer, I think. :)

Well, reviews and stuff would be nice. Thanks to all the readers and stuff, you guys make my day with each review and favorite and alert, really. I love you guys! /hugs/

you can hate me now for the thoroughly disappointing chapter that i didn't even proof read /sobs/ s'okay guise. /hearts/ i'll still love you in the morning.


	4. The Red Light

**(a/n: SO SORRY. No proof read so expect quite a lot of typos there.)**

Cato threw the second to the last knife he had in his hand and cut off the head of the grey styrofoam dummy. He drew back his arm to throw the last knife when a hand suddenly wrapped around his wrist and stopped him. Whoever the stupid person was, their action irked Cato so he threw the knife without looking and turned his attention to his back. He saw Jea standing there with an annoying little smile on her face. It wasn't the smile itself, just how wrong the time was for that little curve on her lips to be there.

"Hey," Cato said after a deep breath. He had no beef with Jea and she was a girl, the least he could do was be civil. "What do you need?" he asked.

"Hey," she greeted back, the pleasantness of her smile decreasing, putting Cato's temper at ease. "The stealth training you promised," she reminded and blinked at him, her eyes sparkling with expectation. Oh, how Cato hated that expectant gleam in her eyes.

He turned around and gave his attention to Jea completely. "Let's go," he said as he pulled out a towel from his back pocket and wiped the blood that dripped from a deep wound he had given himself earlier as they walked towards the open forest area.

The open forest was a vast area filled with trees and only trees, untouched by technology or anything else, despite this though, it was still inside the fence and was where they usually practiced tree climbing and camouflage and all the skill Cato never found useful. He didn't understand why one would have to climb a tree when everything one needed was on the ground. Cato didn't see the point in camouflage either, why hide? Only cowards and weaklings hid. That was his mind set and it was completely different with Clove's.

They arrived at their destination and they saw one or two careers jumping around up in the trees, other than that the area was quite empty. Better for them.

"Stealth," Cato started with a big sigh as he slipped on his black gloves, the girl put on her white ones made of the same material. Cato had already taken the stealth test more than twice and Jea was smart to choose him.

"You can't let anyone see you," he said first off as he buttoned his gloves and started walking into the forest. "You can't let anyone hear you," he said and his footsteps' volume decreased. No dry leaves could be heard breaking under his steps, no smush against the soft soil or a thud against the solid one. Despite his size, Cato couldn't be heard. He wasn't too fond of stealth but he was still perfectly capable of it.

"You have to be quick," he said as he zoomed past the girl and disappeared, hiding behind a tree as he spoke and watched the girl look around for him. It honestly annoyed him how she couldn't figure out where he was. "Stay under the radar," he said as he ran again and passed her, taking the knife on her holster as he did. His speed was almost blinding. He had climbed a tree now and sat on a thick branch that could support his weight. He was light-footed, not light. "Be quick, be smart and," he jumped from the branch he was sitting on and landed softly on the ground with minimal sound. "Be sneaky," he said as he stood in front of the girl, a bit too close for comfort.

They were so close she could feel his hot breath on her skin. A small smirk graced the girl's lips as she leaned forward closer and closer, Cato stood frozen blinking because he still hand't figured out what the girl was doing. He came here to train her because she asked him to, he didn't recall coming for any other reason. But he suddenly lost control of his senses and he couldn't think, Jea's lips had already placed a small kiss on the corner of Cato's mouth when a small knife suddenly passed her, grazing his cheek and making a small cut that bled.

"Ah," Jea let out a pained grunt. She touched the cut that stung and looked at the blood that stained her index finger. Cato, with pure curiosity and Jea with curiosity and annoyance, turned around to look where the shot had come from. Their eyes landed on Clove who was just a few kilometers away. She gave the two an empty stare before walking away wordlessly.

Cato blinked for a while. He didn't understand. Not at all. Clove wasn't the kind to just attack on impulse, as least as far as Cato knew. She always had a reason when she wounded someone and right now, Cato couldn't think of anything that may have made Clove want to attack them so suddenly.

"That bitch," Jea cursed as she took out a piece of white cloth and started to carefully dab the blood off her face.

The word made Cato snap and he had no idea why. "Don't call her that," he turned around and glared at the girl, eyes and words dead serious. Jea looked up at him with confusion and fear and Cato was a second away from doing something he knew he'd regret when the siren sounded, marking the end of the day.

He turned around and left the girl; headed back to his dorm room straight away. That night so many thoughts flooded his head. So many questions, so much confusion. Why was Clove acting the was she was acting? He wondered hard about what he could have possibly done but he just couldn't come up with anything. He fell asleep late, and even when he did he was restless and uneasy, constantly tossing and turning, his eyebrows furrowed with frustration the whole time his head floated in dreamland. Beads of sweat kept falling from his forehead for some unknown reason.

He was thinking too much. He couldn't afford to think too much.

Cato woke up far too early the next day. Since then countless days passed by and it was the same, restlessness and uneasiness plagued him and anxiety and confusion never failed to frustrate him. Clove still wouldn't talk to him and he still didn't know why. After a few days he started longing for Clove's voice, even just her company would be good enough for him. He had tried countless times to approach Clove but the only time they interacted was when they had training together but other than that there was nothing but deafening silence.

It had been three weeks of the same old things. Cato sat at a table in the cafeteria and ate his lunch alone. Usually he'd have Clove but... for three weeks he had had no one. Everyone was too afraid to approach him, he didn't blame them though.

As the blonde chewed on a piece of potato he watched Clove stand in line and wait for her food, looking over the choices on the counter. He watched as the line moved and after a minute Clove was almost at the end.

He caught sight of the green eyes that flickered here and there and the jet black hair that swayed as the girl moved. He watched her thin pink lips purse as she looked over the food choices. He watched her talk to the career before him, even laughing a bit. Her friend must have said something funny.

That's it. Cato couldn't take it anymore. He dropped his fork on the metal tray, making a sound that attracted some eyes. He stood up and felt the other careers' stares behind him, it made him so uncomfortable so he turned around and glared at everyone that watched him, it made them go back to their own business. It wasn't even a glare, Cato just looked at them but then again, he did always look like he was either glaring or scowling. He wasn't so fond of conveying too many emotions through his expressions, he never knew why showing others how he felt was so important.

He continued walking towards Clove and caught her just as she was leaving to find a seat. Cato caught her arm and she turned around to look at him, a blank stare painted her face.

"Stop," Cato said, the request coming out as more of a command, annoyance instantly appeared on Clove's face. He knew how pissed off she got when people ordered her around. But right now, Cato couldn't really care less. "Don't give me that blank stare, Clove," he said, his voice unusually deep.

By that time everyone in the cafeteria was looking at them, some directly some through the corners of their eyes. Clove rolled her eyes at how pathetic the other careers were.

She gave him a look that said "come with me" and turned around and went outside, placing her tray of food on the first table she passed on her way out. She was smart enough to know they they shouldn't and couldn't do their business in the cafeteria.

Cato followed and as soon as he arrived at the exit he turned around again, he felt the stares again and it fazed him easily. He looked at everyone was and fear was all that showed on everyone's expressions as far as he could see. "What are you looking at?" he said intimidatingly at an unlucky career, meaning it for everyone and not just for the boy he had looked at. Then he went out and found Clove by the corner. He walked over and looked at her.

She just looked back at him. It was a staring contest that went on forever. Then the time came when the atmosphere became too dense for Cato to handle.

"Why aren't you t-" he was about to ask why she had been avoiding him but she cut him off mid-sentence.

"I talked to your dad," she stated, the words not completely emotionless but still a bit dead.

Cato blinked for a while. It added to his confusion. "And?"

Clove let out a dry chuckle, the curve of her lips didn't match the lack of emotion in her eyes. "I told him to lay off you," she said plainly.

Cato's eyes actually widened a bit. How much courage the girl had never failed to amaze him. "You told him to "lay off" m-"

"You know what I mean," Clove rolled her eyes, the expression, or lack thereof, on her face not changing. Of course she didn't exactly say "lay off". She was well aware of Cato's family's position and she was taught manners as well, she just chose who to showed them too.

There was a small pause before Cato spoke again. "What did he say?" he asked, more anxious than curious.

"Well, he asked why I cared and I said I didn't and it was just affecting your training is all, which it is," she paused for a few seconds, as if letting Cato absorb and understand her words. Not that they were hard to understand or anything. It may have just been hard for her friend to imagine it all, she thought to herself. "He laughed and said something about how I should stick to my own business. Then he threw me out of your house," she rolled her eyes, pursed her lips slightly and blinked at him.

Cato just chuckled, finding the expression on Clove's face adorable. In fact he was actually so unconsciously captivated by it that he didn't even question his thoughts. "You okay?"

The cute expression left Clove's face and her head turned to the side a bit, she blinked in confusion. She wondered if she had heard the words correctly. Did Cato just ask her if she was okay? Seriously? He sounded really sincere but that actually just added to her confusion. She wondered if he had something up his sleeve but figured that he wasn't patient enough to play those kind of games.

"What?" was all Clove managed to say.

Cato's eyebrows furrowed in pure confusion, it somehow put an innocent expression on the usually-violent boy's face. "What?"

Clove just shook it away, she was probably just thinking too much. "Nothing," she said under her breath.

Cato wasn't satisfied but he let it go anyway. An awkwardly quiet minute passed again but the blonde boy swore it felt like forever.

"Clove," he said her name in a tone way too innocent for him.

"Hm?" she responded, finding his actions and the tone of his words odd, but not completely bad.

"Why did you start ignoring me?" Now it was just wrong. Cato started sounding like a sad puppy and Clove swore she wanted to stick a knife through his stomach to awaken the Cato she knew, but she held back the reflex and looked at him, eyes confused and suspicious.

"You told me to go away remember?" she raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms as she started walking, Cato followed.

The blond just blinked in frustration more than confusion. When had he said that? He was certain he never did. He couldn't have. Or maybe he had... indirectly. Cato frowned when it hit him.

"I meant what I said. You shouldn't be so concerned or attached," he said, not coldly just truthfully. Cato wasn't the kind to twist words to make them sound sweet. He was just plain, simple and honest, to the point that it would sometimes unintentionally hurt someone. "But I didn't mean to push you away," he said, the sad puppy dog expression returning to his face, a small pout placed itself on his lips.

"Stop that," Clove punched his arm playfully, his tone was getting more and more solemn by the second and Clove had never really liked angsty episodes no matter who it was with. She tried to avoid them as much as she could.

"What?" Cato asked with a small laugh, a little more confused than happy.

Clove looked up at him again, the sad pout had left but the puppy dog eyes were still there. She chuckled. How could someone as big and violent and hotheaded as Cato be as adorable as an innocent little puppy? Clove thought the thoughts freely. She honestly (and blindly) didn't see anything wrong with thinking the things she did. But if it was Cato he would have already drowned in confusion.

"Nothing," she mumbled again and shook her head.

Cato wasn't satisfied with the answer again of course so this time he pressed. "What?" he repeated, seeking Clove's eyes.

Clove didn't think twice before speaking. Why would she think twice anyway? "Stop looking like a sad lit-" she was cut off when someone called Clove's name. She turned around to look and Cato looked past her to glare. How dare that nameless career interrupt them? It was Zoey calling them back, saying the director [of the Career program], a.k.a Cato's father, was making an important announcement and everyone needed to be there.

Clove ran back, not even waiting for Cato. "Stop looking like a sad little what?" Cato called out in confusion and an overdoes of curiosity.

Clove just looked back and laughed before walking back. Cato grit his teeth in upset and started walking back as well, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he trotted back. His curiosity was killing him. He wanted to know what she had to say. Badly. But he couldn't do anything about it since she was already too far away.

Stop what, Clove? he asked in his head pointlessly.

Clove walked back and said thanks to Zoey before waving her away. She went back in and Clove was left to her thoughts as she walked back to the cafeteria. She didn't know why but she really wanted to finish that sentence. She didn't even think about how Cato would possibly react, she was oddly a bit impulsive when it came to things like that.

Stop looking like a sad little puppy. Stop trying to be so strong. Stop hurting yourself so much. Stop being so adorable. Stop being so tough. Stop hiding. Stop being so wonderful. Stop being so- Clove stopped dead in her tracks. She was right in front of the door, about to enter, when the thought finally hit her like a big yellow school bus.

Stop being so Cato.

She smiled to herself a little.

Stop making me fall. She opened the cafeteria door and entered, leaving her thoughts at that.

Clove had already went in, Cato knew his dad would give him hell for being so late but he couldn't care less.

"You should stop too," Cato meant to say it to Clove but she wasn't there so he was just thinking out loud. His words were unusually soft and gentle as an equally odd smile graced his lips. It was rare for Cato to smile, specially when Clove wasn't around. In fact if Clove didn't exist he would have let himself believe that he had forgotten how to smile.

But with the dark-haired girl living he couldn't. She just radiated happiness, at least to him, and it was heavily contagious. He loved the way she smiled. He loved the way her eyes sparkled whenever she was happy. He loved how her lush jet black locks swayed with her movements so gracefully, it was so unreal. He loved those little teasing smirks and evil grins she gave away when she was being devilish. He loved... He loved her.

Cato immediately stopped thinking, even stopped walking and stared into space for a while to empty his mind of the thoughts.

He shook his head as if that would get rid of his emotions and all the things he was thinking. He couldn't think it. He couldn't. No. Not when things were how they were. He had to stop.

But he couldn't.

"Stop making me love you," Cato said it out loud. And he was fully aware that he said it, he didn't even lie to himself and tried to deny it. He knew he said it and he was well aware that he meant it.

Then the smile disappeared and Cato unconsciously pouted. "Stop making me so confused," he said problematically.

_Just stop._

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><p><strong>Standard disclaimers apply :)<strong>

this took way too long OTL

sorry guys. but here it is. was it disappointing? ;A; i hope not.

i'll try to update sooner in the future

reviews are love.

sorry again for suuuper late update.

reviewwwws and stuff~


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